Saturday 17/01/2015   Macquarie Pass – Upper Cascades Falls – Macquarie Rivulet – Mulangong Falls – Jump Rock Falls

                                           Macquarie Pass National Park, NSW

Participants: Jocelyn Booth,Ted Booth (Report), Stephen Davies (Photos on new iPhone 6Plus), Sue Davies

The above team took up Kay’s South Coast Bushwalking Club’s cancelled walk on a hot and clear day.  Our route was accurately plotted and tracked on Steve’s new iPhone.  I took along the new series Robertson 1: 25,000 map for old times sake.

Download file: 2015-01-17-Macquaire-Pass-Mulangong-Falls.gpx                         Track Info

The initial Cascades rain forest walk beside the unnamed tributary of the rivulet on the northern side of the Pass was magnificent. There was a good creek flow, plenty of birds and the shafts of morning light through the forest canopy. The track north up the spur from the small waterfall at the end of the boardwalk is now well used by river abseilers. National Parks have closed the track beside the creek above the last waterfall, however, a more easterly route up the ridge was negotiated on an alternative track.

Full shade along the power-line fire trail walking west toward Macquarie Pass road was appreciated. Locusts were in full throttle in the eucalypt forest. The roar of a pack of “choppers” pushed us across the highway and south-west into the quiet of the forest for morning tea. An intuitive bearing had us on Clover Hill Road just before the bridge over the first creek  which we later crossed 160 m below on the scramble along the Rivulet.

All signs of the structures of the Clover Hill Farm Group have been demolished.  Check the YouTube video and comments about Ben Turner, ghosts and other previous residents. 

We saw plenty of commercial creek abseiling action from the Rainbow Falls. Ted nonchalantly watched as a group of young Irish lasses wiggled into their harnesses before we crossed the Rivulet and worked our way upstream to the 3m Mulangong Falls and plunge pool.  The westerly river breeze became a gentle refrigerant with the spray coming off the falls. The water levels were much higher than the two previous trips with Kay. Swim and lunch as per the tradition.

For the return, we climbed higher up the valley before tracking south-east and meeting the old fire trail that crosses the Rivulet at the concrete ford.  This was a much better option than the scramble closer to the river.

“Let’s try the northern side” for the return journey. Memories were a bit vague on where to cross to get a route without the ups and downs from the eight side streams that come in from the north.  Two crossings, a few hundred metres of wading and some entanglement in lawyer vines on steep slopes prompted afternoon tea and another swim.

There must have been 50 people at Jump Rock and the bare and thong-footed locals just kept coming up the track.  Hitting the open sun at track end at 4:30pm it was clear why the locals were trying to escape to the cool of the Rivulet.

Thanks to Kay for the program notation of a great “cancelled” day out.

 

Information on NSW National Parks signage along the way

Cascades Rainforest Walk

The track follows The Cascades Stream that transforms into waterfalls and rapids along its course. At the end of the track the creek tumbles over a 20 metre cliff forming Cascade Falls.

Along the track you may discover huge strangler figs and other interesting plants in the pockets of rainforest. Lyrebirds and wonga pigeons scratch around the forest floor and swamp wallabies often dart between the trees.

From the 1880s to the 1960s this area was extensively logged for red cedar allowing weeds to invade the forest. As the forest regenerates the weeds will diminish.

Small leaved figs (Ficus obliqua) are the giants of the rainforest growing to 40m, They have massive buttress roots and small leaves.

Red cedars (Toona australis) are highly valued as furniture timber. They were heavily exploited in the past and only small specimens remain in this forest.

Lilly pillies (Acmena smithin) are medium sized trees with glossy leaves. They are easily identified by their flaky reddish-brown bark. Their abundant white to pale purple fruit is an important bush-tucker food for Aboriginal people.

 

Photos

(on iPhone 6 Plus)

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